I'm new to Archinect. I completed my bachelors last year. I've been working for 6 months now at this small company which almost exclusively does F&B spaces. So almost all employees were furloughed indefinitely.
So I'd like your tips on how to spend my free time productively. What are the skills I should be learning? How do I make use of this time?
It really depends on your goals long term or when this all ends. If it's employment, you could take time to develop a nice conceptual project with refined drawings and diagrams that you could use to strengthen your portfolio. Since you've just graduated, something like this should be okay.
On the other hand, it could be helpful to start studying for your licensing exams. Even if you don't plan to test yet, what you study will help you tremendously in our professional work once you're back in the game. For example, you may need to learn how to do code analysis, or read schedules properly, how to navigate code, etc. There's a ton you could learn on that level.
But, like I said, it really depends on what you're trying to achieve. What do you want to work on during this time you now have?
Right now my goals are employment. So I did consider working on a conceptual project. A concern I have with this is, usually all our designs are solutions to design problems. May it be a site constraint or something else, what gives a design character is that we are responding to a particular problem. How does this work with a conceptual/ hypothetical project? Since there aren't any issues that steers design in a particular direction.
Conceptual projects can have constraints and problems. The nature of a conceptual project is usually the addressing of a conceptual problem. So one approach is to either create a problem that you solve, enter a competition of some kind that gives you a problem to solve, or to find a real problem and propose a conceptual solution of your own.
during 09' I redid my thesis project from used what I learned from practice at an office in San Francisco. That paved the way to getting a job and back into the profession. But do study for your A.R.E. as well
1) Talk with your supervisor from work and devise of list of skills you were learning and new skills they were expecting you to develop. Work on these. Being furloughed implies you may be brought back if things improve. If you want your old job back, don't be afraid to show interest in it while you are furloughed.
2) If you can't or don't want to go back, work on your resume, interviewing skills, and portfolio. Also do some networking online.
Yes I have spoken to my mentor about the skills that I can improve on and am working on those. I am interested in going back since I know there is a lot left that I can learn from there. But I think it would be wise to work on my portfolio and update it since its very uncertain if and when we might be going back.
Maybe skills that also easily translate into other adjacent professions as well...like not putting all the eggs in one basket.
May 14, 20 3:09 pm ·
·
zonker
Programming, you can learn Python and C# if you don't already know these languages. One of my past co-workers was able to use this background to get into to UI design. The move to online is permanent, every recession marks a technical turning point - 11 years ago, it was from autocad to BIM. this time, it's online, Zoom
May 14, 20 5:39 pm ·
·
Block this user
Are you sure you want to block this user and hide all related comments throughout the site?
Archinect
This is your first comment on Archinect. Your comment will be visible once approved.
Tips to Upskill during Covid
Hi there,
I'm new to Archinect. I completed my bachelors last year. I've been working for 6 months now at this small company which almost exclusively does F&B spaces. So almost all employees were furloughed indefinitely.
So I'd like your tips on how to spend my free time productively. What are the skills I should be learning? How do I make use of this time?
Thanks, I look forward to hearing from you.
Hey insertnamehere,
It really depends on your goals long term or when this all ends. If it's employment, you could take time to develop a nice conceptual project with refined drawings and diagrams that you could use to strengthen your portfolio. Since you've just graduated, something like this should be okay.
On the other hand, it could be helpful to start studying for your licensing exams. Even if you don't plan to test yet, what you study will help you tremendously in our professional work once you're back in the game. For example, you may need to learn how to do code analysis, or read schedules properly, how to navigate code, etc. There's a ton you could learn on that level.
But, like I said, it really depends on what you're trying to achieve. What do you want to work on during this time you now have?
Right now my goals are employment. So I did consider working on a conceptual project. A concern I have with this is, usually all our designs are solutions to design problems. May it be a site constraint or something else, what gives a design character is that we are responding to a particular problem. How does this work with a conceptual/ hypothetical project? Since there aren't any issues that steers design in a particular direction.
Conceptual projects can have constraints and problems. The nature of a conceptual project is usually the addressing of a conceptual problem. So one approach is to either create a problem that you solve, enter a competition of some kind that gives you a problem to solve, or to find a real problem and propose a conceptual solution of your own.
during 09' I redid my thesis project from used what I learned from practice at an office in San Francisco. That paved the way to getting a job and back into the profession. But do study for your A.R.E. as well
Thank you. Reworking on the thesis is a great idea. I'm not from the States though. So the licensing works a little differently where I'm from.
1) Talk with your supervisor from work and devise of list of skills you were learning and new skills they were expecting you to develop. Work on these. Being furloughed implies you may be brought back if things improve. If you want your old job back, don't be afraid to show interest in it while you are furloughed.
2) If you can't or don't want to go back, work on your resume, interviewing skills, and portfolio. Also do some networking online.
3) ARE study.
Yes I have spoken to my mentor about the skills that I can improve on and am working on those. I am interested in going back since I know there is a lot left that I can learn from there. But I think it would be wise to work on my portfolio and update it since its very uncertain if and when we might be going back.
Maybe skills that also easily translate into other adjacent professions as well...like not putting all the eggs in one basket.
Programming, you can learn Python and C# if you don't already know these languages. One of my past co-workers was able to use this background to get into to UI design. The move to online is permanent, every recession marks a technical turning point - 11 years ago, it was from autocad to BIM. this time, it's online, Zoom
Block this user
Are you sure you want to block this user and hide all related comments throughout the site?
Archinect
This is your first comment on Archinect. Your comment will be visible once approved.